Hi there,
I’m a bit unsure of what fabric to use for the new Darlow bag pattern. I’d love it if you could share some inspiration. I always struggle with putting together different prints, but are solids too boring?
Maria, Melbourne
This week we’re sharing part two of our answer to this question - colour-blocking inspiration for the Darlow bag pattern. Check out our first part about solid fabric inspiration here.
Inspired by the Darlow pants pattern, with curved panels that twist around the bag, this design is ideal for diving into your fabric scraps bin and using what you’ve got. We’ve even included fabric requirements specifically for this purpose with the pattern!
HOW TO TEST OUT FABRIC COMBINATIONS BEFORE YOU START A PROJECT
We know that for many makers (us included!), coming up with a combination of scrap fabrics that we really love when they’re all together can be challenging. How do we know we’re going to love it when we’ve finished making the bag??
This month, inside our private online community for our Curated subscription, Leanne has shared a tutorial for using a digital app (specifically, Procreate) to test out colour-blocking ideas. But if you’re not digitally-minded, what can you do?
Manual colour-swatching to the rescue!
Our Darlow bag pattern comes with a design page (shown above) which you can use to test out different colours, either by colouring it in with pens and pencils, or using fabrics scraps like Leanne did in the image below for our Hove tote pattern.
But what if you’re still not sure?
Looking to other makers’ makes for inspiration, is your best bet. Here’s a couple of scrappy Darlow bags from our amazing community so far...
And because this pattern was derived from our Darlow pants pattern, we have to share some of our favourite colour-blocked pants from our wonderful Instagram community.
There’s plenty more Darlow pants inspiration on Instagram, which you can use to inspire your Darlow bag make. Check out the hashtag here!
Happy sewing!
Emily
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE
The Darlow bag pattern is currently only available to Curated by ITF subscribers. More information about our Curated by ITF subscription can be found here. Sign up during the month of April to get the Darlow bag pattern delivered straight to your inbox.
The Darlow pants pattern - digital pattern available here.
For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.
